According to CHRD, (8 April 13; 6 September 12; 13 June 12; 17 May 12) and RFA (13 June 12), on February 28, 2012, PSB officials detained rights defender Zhou Decai in Gushi county, Xinyang city, Henan province, on suspicion of "assembling a crowd to disturb social order," as he was preparing to attend a labor rights defense meeting in Beijing. He reportedly had advocated for workers and farmers to work together to defend their rights. Authorities formally arrested him on March 30 and the Gushi County People's Court heard his case on June 13. On September 3, 2012, the court sentenced him to five years in prison. Zhou appealed, but on November 20, the Xinyang City Intermediate People’s Court upheld the original verdict. Authorities prevented Zhou's wife from entering the courtroom for his trial and his sentencing, and she reported being assaulted by 20 unidentified men. Zhou’s health was reportedly deteriorating in prison. Beginning in the 1990s, Zhou reportedly assisted farmers and workers to defend their rights. He also observed and participated in village committee elections, and just prior to his detention, he participated in county people's congress elections. Authorities reportedly released Zhou on February 27, 2017, upon completion of his sentence (RDN, 28 February 17).